Data for the study were gathered from a survey of 1,552 11th and 12th grade teens regarding their tobacco use. Researchers found that those who lived in areas with the most restrictive laws for sale of cigarettes to minors were more than a third less likely to have ever used cigarettes and half as likely to report use in the past 30 days than those living in areas with more lenient laws. Teens in areas with more restrictive laws were also less likely subsequently to initiate cigarette use and less likely to initiate e-cigarette use or to report use in the past 30 days.

The authors conclude that strict tobacco retail licensing laws, and continued monitoring and enforcement of those laws at the retail level, could be playing a part in reducing teen tobacco product use.